Here’s the bad news- I’m going to have to postpone The Goblet of Fire review. It’s just A REALLY LONG BOOK YA’LL. But I kind of have a surprise review, so be looking for that tomorrow.

Now, let’s get on with today’s second post of Bible Gals, or whatever I decided to call this series.

Okay, so here’s the thing about women in the Bible… a majority of them are known as only the daughter, mother, or wife of some guy.

Now I get that if the Bible went into detail about every single person ever mentioned… well, it’d be longer than it is now. (Uh duh.)

But I kinda wish there was some sort of unabridged version, or spin off series. I mean, it’s perfect the way it is… I’m just super curious as to what the lives of these other girls were like.

“Well, I guess you’re going to have to wait until you get to heaven” Ah ha ha ha. Seriously though, peoples in heaven, can you be, like, working on this? Thanks.

Sometimes though, we can almost read in between the lines.

Take for instance, Jerusha (or Jerushah). Her name literally only makes two appearances in the Bible, in quite similar verses:

“Five and twenty years old was he when he began to reign, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Jerusha, the daughter of Zadok.” -1 Kings 15:33

” Jotham was twenty and five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name also was Jerushah, the daughter of Zadok.” -2 Chronicles 27:1

The text introduces her as the mother of Jotham, king of Israel. She was the daughter of Zadok, a priest during the reign of David. And because Jotham’s father is stated as King Uzziah, we know that he was her husband.

Now you might see this and think, “cool story, bro. That’s it?” But there’s actually some reading in between the lines that we can do, that might shed a little light on who Jerusha was.

As the daughter of a priest, we can assume that she was most likely raised in a godly home. She married the King Uzziah, who is stated to have done “right in the sight of the LORD” (2 Chron. 26:4). He has many accomplishments in the 52 years he reigns and “his name spread far abroad“.

(Also, it was under his charge that those crazy war machines were made… you know, like catapults and the things that shoot tons of arrows. *see LOTR for better reference.)

There was a hiccup at the end, where he got a little too full of himself, burned incense in the temple (which was, like, a huge no-no), and then got lepresy and died…. but Isaiah deeply mourned his death. So, still good?

We then go on to 2 Chronicles 27, where Jotham is king and we’re introduced to Jersushah. There’s also a little jab at his father, Uzziah:

“And he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, according to all that his father Uzziah did: howbeit he entered not into the temple of the Lord. And the people did yet corruptly.” -2 Chronicles 27:2

I mean, that’s one solid burn. Like, “Jotham did right in God’s eyes, like his daddy…. BUT HE DIDN’T GO IN THAT TEMPLE THO!”

Anywho, I think seeing how both Uzziah and Jotham did right in God’s eyes (that temple tho!)- means that maybe Jerusha played a part in that.

Is it complete fact? No, of course not. But there’s a hope there that perhaps she had a godly influence in her husband’s and son’s lives.

So the whole world doesn’t know every single detail of her life? Big whoop. It’s easy to believe the high probability that she was an influence for good and not evil. If so, her “behind the scenes” actions, could have impacted a nation for the better.

What can I say? I’m hopeful!

So, here’s the lesson: the whole world doesn’t know you exist… you’ve got only 5 followers on whatever social platform… you’ve got only one friend IRL….

That’s okay. The important thing is just, be good. Do what’s right. Isn’t it worth it to just change one person’s life for the better? And you never know what sort of ripples choosing love and God can make!